Monday, January 14, 2013

Hola from Elder Hughes!!! (because I cannot think of a creative title right now) | Week 14

hiking to some native american petroglyphs

Hola Familia!!

I loved getting your letters and emails as always! Z man congrats on your wrestling success AND you are repping the Y... so double the awesome. Mom, I hope you feel better soon, I used to hate it when you were sick and still do. I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for braving the DMV for me, haha. Maybe a mission blessing could come in the form of a painless experience there... probably not.

I cannot believe that I have one week left in my first transfer, it FLEW by and everyone says it just gets faster. The work is going SO well. The Lord is blessing Elder Z and I. The most exciting part of the week was we set 2 baptismal dates with the M's! It was awesome. So their dates are on Feb. 2nd. It is definitely a leap of faith to invite someone to be baptized, but the spirit was so awesome. It is funny to me how members sometimes don't really understand how missionary work is done. The members who were with us at the lesson with the M's looked like the were gonna fall out of their chair haha. The members were way more shocked at the invitation than the investigators haha. Every lesson we have had with them has been awesome. Their daughter B who is 3 is a crackup she is hilarious. B is always crazy when we come over and sometimes teaching is tricky, but I am amazed at how the spirit guides us as we teach. They always look at each other and say 'this makes so much sense' and Elder Z and I are always amazed at how much they understand, because we know it doesn't come from us being good teachers. It comes through the spirit. We have been so blessed here. We found another new investigator! We got a referral for his dad, and we ended up teaching him. I am always so amazed at how the Lord leads us to the people he has prepared. We taught him the 1st lesson this week in Spanish, which was a challenge. I need so much more practice, but I always know enough to sufficiently teach the lessons. We are excited to keep teaching him, we have quite a few investigators which keeps us real busy. I love being busy as a missionary, that's is exactly the way I like it. The key to what we have accomplished here in Duncan is all about the members. I am so glad I was sent here because I have truly to learn how to truly work with the members. Alot of missionaries struggle here, because if the members dont trust you, then the work is hard here. The members here are so awesome. They love us, and through their efforts we have been so blessed. One family the J's here are awesome, and make us feel like part of their family. They have the cutest kids in the whole world who get so excited when we come over haha. There is NO better way to do missionary work than working so much through the members. There is no other way here in Duncan because we really cannot tract or contact.Well, if I didn't have enough practice changing a tire, I do now. We had our 6th flat tire of the transfer last night. We are so confused as to why we keep getting them! So definitely know how to change a tire now... haha. We are also making a member missionary work video by interviewing members. Also today, only in Duncan do you have to pull over and help member corrall their loose horses that are all over the road haha. Saw something else I have never seen before. It was time for the members who live next door (Wilbur) for meat harvesting day!! Got to see a cow that was still alive hung upside down and tied to a tractor and driven over to his soon to be death...very interesting... I had a small world moment this week. We went on exchanges and I was with my District Leader Elder E and we got to know each other. Turns out the guy that Tanner and I worked with this summer that we had to take to the hospital, went to highschool with Elder E. It's a small world. The exchange was great we had a blast. I am singing in church on sunday, which I am nervous about as usual. I will let you know how it goes!!

So next week I might still be in Duncan or I might be somewhere else... I am hoping and praying to stay here! I really want to be a part of getting all these people baptized! The reason we aren't sure what will happen is because I am spanish and my trainer english so they might be moving me... we don't know. BUT I hope not. I love it here. (No I haven't decided that I want to live on a farm) but I love the people, and the slower pace of life. We will see what will happen. P day will be on tuesday next week for transfers.

I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. It is our number one priority. If we keep it at number one, all other things will fall into place. I love serving the Lord,I feel so blessed to be a missionary. I love and miss you all as always. Keep the gospel as your most precious possesion.